Travelling Without a Valid Ticket on the TfL Network 4

Jennette Arnold: Please provide details of the costs incurred by TfL in prosecuting people caught travelling on the TfL Network without a valid ticket in the years 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19. Please provide a breakdown year by year.

The Mayor: It is estimated that Transport for London (TfL) loses approximately £116m each year across all of its public transport services as a result of fare evasion and ticket fraud. This is money which could and should be invested in growing the network and improving the travel experience for customers.
TfL and its contractors currently employ 450 Revenue Inspectors across its services. For this financial year, it’s estimated that each case taken to prosecution by TfL costs £400. This figure includes:
TfL do not seek to recover full costs when prosecuting a case, and only request a 75 per cent contribution to prosecution costs at first hearings, meaning where cases proceed to Open Court, TfL seek costs of £300.
It is important to note that when a case proceeds to conviction, the sentencing is at the discretion of the court, and the sentence is based on the defendant’s means. Payments are also usually received in instalments and can take many years.
The number of prosecutions undertaken by TfL for the last five years can be found in the answer to Mayor's Question0470/2020.

Wireless taxi charging

Caroline Pidgeon: Following reports of the initiative of inductive charging of taxis in Nottingham, what steps are being taken to ensure that TfL considers the use of such technology in London?

The Mayor: Wireless charging for electric vehicles has been in development for a number of years. It has been demonstrated in several pilot projects including Transport for London’s (TfL’s) bus route 69 in east London, as part of the EU funded ‘ZeEUS’ project. Such innovative transport technologies could be an important part of supporting the switch to electric vehicles, including electric taxis. TfL is a partner in the Nottingham trial which is looking at the opportunities, benefits and obstacles to this technology and the findings of this trial will be important in its work to consider the use of this technology in London.

Wrightbus in administration

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your reply to Question 2019/19617 where you stated “Transport for London and its bus operators are currently working with the administrators over the level of support available from the manufacturer and how to obtain more specific parts. The position will become clearer over the coming weeks.” Please provide a detailed update as to TfL’s plans to obtain specific parts for the Routemaster bus in future years and to ensure that the buses, entirely owned by TfL, can continue to operate.

The Mayor: The interim arrangements are becoming clearer with London’s bus operators sourcing parts of at least the same standard from alternative suppliers. This is very much business as usual as the companies are responsible for maintaining, running and repairing all double-deck bus makes so their fleets operate safely and in good condition. The supply of parts through the new owners of Wrightbus is gradually being restored and this will inform how Routemasters are supported directly or indirectly in future years.

Mass evacuation preparation (3)

Andrew Dismore: When will the Brigade’s revised policy note 790 be published?

The Mayor: The revised policy for Fire Survival Guidance (FSG) is currently undergoing peer review and engagement with key stakeholders. A programme of testing and exercising has been undertaken to finalise a new and enhanced procedure that allows firefighters to deal with multiple FSG calls more effectively. This, in turn, will meet one of the key recommendations from the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire Phase 1 report in relation to the passing of two-way information between the incident ground and Control. It is expected that formal consultation on the policy will begin in mid-March and the policy will be implemented following the rollout of suitable training in Q2 2020/21.

Provision of Sexual Health Services in London

Caroline Pidgeon: Sexual health services are important and should be easily accessible to all Londoners. Do you share my concern around the seeming reduction in the provision of sexual health services in London and how are you using your influence to ensure London Boroughs keep these vital services open and accessible?

The Mayor: I would be concerned to hear if Londoners are struggling to access sexual health services. My Health Inequalities Strategy recognises the need to promote good sexual health and I am concerned about the significant rises in some STIs in London. Although I have no statutory responsibility for the commissioning of health services, I am committed to championing and challenges these services on behalf of Londoners.
You will be aware that London boroughs are mandated to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services, including free STI testing and treatment. However, local government has yet to receive this year’s settlement for the Public Health Grant, and without a full reversal of the cuts to the grant boroughs will struggle to meet increasing demand. I have repeatedly lobbied government in this issue, both in my correspondence to the Secretary of State about the availability of PrEP, and in my submission on the Prevention Green Paper. I will also raise the issue of the sustainability of these services with my statutory health advisor.
Even in the face of huge financial pressures, public health teams and sexual health service providers are continuing to innovate. I hope that the introduction of online services along with developments such as new sites in accessible locations; better use of IT; changes in prescribing practice; and the training and development of staff will improve access and will help to meet the changing and increasing needs of Londoners.

Clean Buses

Navin Shah: Are London Bus Operators meeting your target of only buying clean electric or hydrogen buses from 1st January 2020?

The Mayor: My London Environment Strategy states that all new single-deck buses will be zero emission from 2020. This is expected to take effect from this summer.
Transport for London currently has 280 pure electric buses in the fleet and this total will grow to up to 500 by the end of 2020, maintaining London’s lead in this area compared to most other international cities.

Extra places for incident command training (3)

Andrew Dismore: By when will Babcock have sufficient capacity to train all the officers required to undergo incident commander training?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has purchased 304 places from other training providers due to a lack of capacity from Babcock. The training began on 11 November 2019 and the last class will finish on 27 March 2020. Babcock’s capacity to deliver, going forward, is being explored as part of ongoing discussions.

Crossrail

Navin Shah: Crossrail had originally planned for the central section of the railway to open in December 2018. On 10 January 2020, Crossrail Ltd. announced that the opening of the central section would take place in summer 2021. How confident are you that the project’s completion date will not slip again and that it will remain within the current final cost commitment?

The Mayor: Crossrail Limited expects to open the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood in summer 2021.
Its latest forecast is based on the current progress with completing software development for the signalling and train systems along with safety assurance for the railway. Crossrail Limited plan to begin intensive operational testing known as Trial Running in autumn 2020.
I will continue to scrutinise and hold Crossrail Limited to account, alongside Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport as Joint Sponsors. We are focused on maintaining that timeline and ensuring Londoners are kept up to date with progress and Crossrail’s finances. The governance of the project has improved considerably, with an enhanced and expanded Crossrail Board and the reconstitution of the project’s Investment Committee and a Remuneration and Nominations Committee. The Crossrail Limited Chair and Chief Executive both now attend all meetings of the TfL Board to give comprehensive updates in public – the Chief Executive also attends the meetings of TfL’s Programme and Investment Committee.
I meet with the Crossrail leadership regularly, and my Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Transport meet with them (and TfL’s Commissioner and Chief Finance Officer) every two weeks to discuss progress and go through weekly metrics on safety performance and testing progress.

Mass evacuation preparation (2)

Andrew Dismore: When will the Brigade’s revised policy note 633 be published?

The Mayor: Following the Grenfell Tower fire, London Fire Brigade reviewed and made changes to Policy Number 633 (PN633) High Rise Firefighting. This document sets out the procedures firefighters should follow when responding to a fire in a high-rise building. The new PN633 covers operational tactics for use in exceptional circumstances when a building is not behaving as designed in order to provide the greatest possibility of reaching all parts of the building for the purpose of emergency evacuation of residents. The London Fire Commissioner approved the revised policy on 12 February and London Fire Brigade plans to implement the revised policy from 31 July 2020, following the procurement and proof of concept exercises, and the completion of a robust training programme being delivered to all station based officers. So far 225 senior officers have received an initial awareness briefing prior to the station based officer training roll out. This policy will remain under review until such time as National guidance, changes to legislation and subsequent remediation work has been undertaken.

Harwood Terrace

Tony Devenish: The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham is blaming TfL for the closure of Harwood Terrace. Please advise the Assembly of TfL’s perspective on why Harwood Terrace is closed and explain what you are doing to ensure this road is reopened as quickly as possible.

The Mayor: I am not aware of TfL being blamed by anyone for anything with respect to Harwood Terrace.
As I understand it, the trial closure of Harwood Terrace is a scheme led by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF). During LBHF’s consultation (https://lbhf.citizenspace.com/tts/harwoodarea/) in February 2019 Transport for London (TfL) were approached by the borough to provide feedback on the anticipated operational impacts of their proposal.
TfL were broadly supportive of a trial and felt they could effectively manage the Strategic Road Network along the New Kings Road should the trial proceed.
The proposal was implemented by LBHF in October 2019. I understand the objective of the trial was to assess whether a closure of Harwood Terrace would reduce the total volume of motor traffic through the wider neighbourhood, especially at peak times, following a number of collisions. I understand that the trial will shortly be coming to an end and that LBHF have held a number of meetings with local residents to review outcomes and develop solutions.
TfL is happy to work with LBHF as it determines how it wishes to proceed and will be happy to consider any actions it can take in pursuit of the objectives laid out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

OLA (1)

Keith Prince: OLA are soon launching in London and they'll be dispatching bookings to taxi drivers via their app. Are taxi drivers to class this OLA booking as a private hire booking when they accept it?

The Mayor: Ola launched its private hire services in London earlier this month, having met all the requirements for a private hire operator’s licence.
While Ola does not currently offer a platform for taxis, I understand that it plans to do so in the future. This service would be separate to its private hire service and would be available to licensed taxi drivers using licensed taxis.
Transport for London regulates private hire operators, however it does not regulate taxi app platforms. To do so would require legislative change as there are no provisions within the current regulatory framework.

Children’s mental health

Jennette Arnold: The Children’s Commissioner has recently reported that the average wait for children to access mental health services is 53 days. How are you supporting and up-skilling school staff in London to respond to this crisis before vulnerable children are put at risk of exclusion and other consequences?

The Mayor: My Youth Mental Health First Aid programme, funded through my Young Londoners Fund, aims to equip school staff with the knowledge, skills and confidence to identify and assist young people experiencing mental health issues so that they are better able to get the support they need at the earliest opportunity. Training has taken place in all London boroughs and every state school and college will have at least one Youth Mental Health First Aider by 2021.
The Mental Health in Schools Toolkit developed between the Healthy London Partnership and the GLA, was published in November 2018. The toolkit provides a wide range of information and guidance, for school leaders and staff, governing bodies, health care professionals and commissioners in health and local authorities, on how to promote emotional wellbeing and mental health within schools. Since publication, the toolkit has been viewed over 19,000 times.

Grant to help EU citizens to apply for EU Settlement Scheme

Leonie Cooper: How many EU Londoners do you expect to be supported by the awarding of 12, £5,000 micro-grants to community organisations to engage with European communities?

The Mayor: At City Hall, we are doing all that we can to provide European Londoners with reassurance and support around the EU Settlement Scheme, including outreach and free legal advice for nearly 5,000 people to date.
The third round of micro-grants awarded for European outreach focuses on particularly complex cases and specialist advice for victims of domestic violence, children in care, rough-sleepers and people with no IT skills. £60,000has been awarded across twelve organisations and their combined target is to support 1,692 people with advice on the EU Settlement Scheme.
However, further action is required from the government and I am calling on them to commit another year of funding to frontline services providing advice on the EU Settlement Scheme for some of the most vulnerable groups. Without this support, we face the risk of people losing their rights after the deadline for the EU Settlement Scheme.

Sutton Tram

Steve O'Connell: With the announcement that TfL has decided on its preferred route for the Sutton Tram but that it lacks the funds to pay for it, should my constituents hold out any hope that it will actually be built so long as you are Mayor?

The Mayor: TfL has been working with the London boroughs of Sutton and Merton to explore options and make the case for funding for the scheme. While some funding has been identified, a significant gap remains. To cover this, more funding will be needed from both local and national sources and I will continue to seek opportunities to secure this.
I still consider the tram extension a key part of my Transport Strategy and your constituents in Sutton can be assured that I will continue to support it being built.

Room/Facility Hire (2)

Susan Hall: As a follow up to your answer to my question 2019/21082, what is the reason for the decrease in annual income from venue hire for City Hall, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Garden?

The Mayor: There are a variety of reasons for the reduced annual income at City Hall, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Gardens.
City Hall’s annual income is lower than expected because of reduced availability for commercial events due to the Greater London Authority, Mayor of London and London Assembly usage of the space and waiver of fees events for the Greater London Authority sponsored events. Charities are also entitled to 50 per centdiscount on the hire fee for the London Living Room and the Chamber.
Trafalgar Square has reduced availability due to increase of waivered fee events, rallies and decrease in the number of requests for commercial activities.
Parliament Square Gardens is used primary for rallies and demonstrations, but a small amount of income is produced from activities such as filming.

London's Living Room

Susan Hall: On how many occasions since 2016 has London's Living Room been hired out without charge? Please list each occasion.

The Mayor: London’s Living Room has been hired without charge on 155 occasions since 01/04/2016 to 31/03/2020. This list is based on Financial Years.
Financial Year 2016/17
Event Organiser
23/04/2016
Michaela School
10/05/2016
London & Partners
16/05/2016
TfL
18/05/2016
UCL Partners
20/06/2016
London & Partners
22/06/2016
The Hearsum Collection
18/07/2016
Greenpeace
25/07/2016
MOPAC
05/09/2016
Rothschild Foundation
27/09/2016
Whole Kids Foundation/Whole Foods Market
10/10/2016
British Hospitality Conversation
13/10/2016
TfL
25/10/2016
London Fire Brigade
26/10/2016
Back to Scholl IOT Showcase
28/10/2016
Black Heroes Foundation
15/11/2016
Sustain
21/11/2016
Parks London (formerly London Parks & Green Spaces Forum)
22/11/2016
London Fire Brigade
09/01/2017
Cosmopolitan
16/01/2017
Aim
28/01/2017
Healthy London Partnership
03/02/2017
Kings College London
08/02/2017
Timewise
08/03/2017
All Bright
09/03/2017
TfL
30/03/2017
Indielab
31/03/2017
Indielab
16/6/16&17/6/16
Planning Officers Society
Financial Year 2017/18
Event Organiser
03/04/2017
London & Partners
10/04/2017
High Streets
24/04/2017
Hate Crime Summit
08/05/2017
Urban Design London
09/05/2017
TfL
09/05/2017
London Music Masters
12/06/2017
London & Partners
19/06/2017
WRAP
20/06/2017
Langdon Charity
21/06/2017
TfL
22/06/2017
TfL
27/06/2017
Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LCVP)
03/07/2017
MMF
10/07/2017
Citizens Advice Enfield
10/07/2017
LFB
19/07/2017
Urban Land Institute
07/09/2017
TfL
11/09/2017
WISTA UK
14/09/2017
Open House London
19/09/2017
LFB
28/09/2017
School Food Matters
02/10/2017
First Give
04/10/2017
FIA Foundation
13/10/2017
Sustain
18/10/2017
London Homelessness Awards
24/10/2017
Cornerstone
24/10/2017
The Food Foundations
01/11/2017
Energy Saving Trust
01/11/2017
Bexley Council
03/11/2017
St. Lukes Hospice
06/11/2017
Energy Garden (Community Benefit Society)
07/11/2017
Wheels for Wellbeing
15/11/2017
MOPAC
05/12/2017
TfL
07/12/2017
TfL
07/12/2017
TfL
14/12/2017
London & Partners
18/01/2018
UK Business Angels Association
26/02/2018
The Boat Race Company Ltd
07/03/2018
Tech City UK
09/07/2018
MMF
17/07/2018
Urban Land Institute
01/11/2018
London Councils
Financial Year 2018/19
Event Organiser
03/05/2018
SEHTA
15/05/2018
Publica
16/05/2018
WinTrade Week
22/05/2018
Team London Bridge
08/06/2018
LFB
11/06/2018
London & Partners
27/06/2018
Boiler Room
03/07/2018
Equal Education
05/07/2018
Jack Dobson-Smith
09/07/2018
Mayors Music Fund
12/07/2018
TfL
17/07/2018
Urban Land Institute
17/07/2018
JLL
14/08/2018
National Housing Federation
14/08/2018
James Bell Photography
04/09/2018
Women in Planning
17/09/2018
Jack Petchey Foundation
19/09/2018
The Women's Budget Group
26/09/2018
TfL
27/09/2018
Future of London
28/09/2018
Charlton Manor School
18/10/2018
London Housing Federation
30/10/2018
Black Heroes Foundation
01/11/2018
London Councils
02/11/2018
Met Police
13/11/2018
London Pensions Fund Authority
20/11/2018
TfL
26/11/2018
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
08/02/2019
Pride sports
09/02/2019
Institure of Physics
12/02/2019
LFB
19/02/2019
London TravelWatch
20/02/2019
LFB
04/03/2019
Tfl
05/03/2019
The Collective
11/03/2019
TfL
14/03/2019
The Boat Race
Financial Year 2019/20
Event Organiser
19/03/2019
Team London Bridge
02/04/2019
LFB
03/04/2019
LFB
02/05/2019
British Library IP Centre
02/05/2019
London Councils
14/06/2019
London Gyspy Traveller Forum
14/06/2019
New London Architecture
25/06/2019
CLOA
26/06/2019
The Broadcast PR Business
26/06/2019
Future Cities
09/07/2019
TfL
12/07/2019
Planning Out
15/07/2019
Urban Land Institute
24/07/2019
London TravelWatch
30/08/2019
The Challenge
06/09/2019
LFB
09/09/2019
Image Line
12/09/2019
GoodGym Charity
13/09/2019
TfL (Underground in Bloom)
17/09/2019
Mount Anvil Ltd
24/09/2019
MOPAC
27/09/2019
Chaired Assets
01/10/2019
Dan Thomas
02/10/2019
TfL
11/10/2019
LFB
17/10/2019
London Housing Federation
18/10/2019
Save the Children
24/10/2019
Eastern Eye
30/10/2019
Sustain
01/11/2019
My Society
05/11/2019
MedCity
12/11/2019
Local Pensions Partnership
13/11/2019
Inclusive Tech Alliance
13/11/2019
London & Partners
15/11/2019
Soil Association Food for Life
16/11/2019
Saturday Club Trust
21/11/2019
Altair
21/11/2019
London & Partners
03/12/2019
Aneemo
17/12/2019
MOPAC
07/01/2020
TfL
13/01/2020
Mayors Fund for London
31/01/2020
Association of Panel Members
20/02/2020
London Jewish Forum
27/02/2020
Haven House Hospice
03/03/2020
London & Partners
13/03/2020
Kings College Hospital

TfL Bus Safety Performance since 2016

Keith Prince: Analysis of the Metropolitan Police’s published STATS19 and TfL’s own Quarterly Bus Safety Data clearly evidence Bus Safety Performance trending downwards since 2016. On 4 February 2020, your Transport Commissioner disputed this analysis and asserted the trend was improving. Do you agree with your Commissioner? If so, please provide published evidence to support that view.

The Mayor: I agree with the Transport Commissioner’s assessment that bus safety performance has improved since 2016. In particular, the following statistical data has been published online and demonstrates improvement:
Statistics for the full year of 2019 are not yet available.
These statistics relates to data published by Transport for London (TfL) online at the following location:https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/bus-safety-data#on-this-page-4
TfL is committed to meeting its Vision Zero ambitions and continues to work closely with the bus operators to continue improving the network for all customers and staff.

Food and Drinks Industry

Andrew Boff: Are you and your team open to engaging with anyone from the Food and Drinks industry who want to improve public health in London?

The Mayor: I regularly engage with and consult leaders spanning the breadth of the food system through the London Food Board, which informs the ongoing implementation of my London Food Strategy. Members were integral throughout its development and consultation, during which we engaged with, and received responses from many industry organisations..
Having recently co-opted four new organisations to the Board, including UK Hospitality and the Association of Convenience Stores, I have strengthened the Board’s expertise and opened up opportunities for further dialogue with some of the industry’s largest representative organisations.
Officers consistently engage members and other key industry stakeholders on policies and initiatives to improve the health of all Londoners, including TfL’s Healthier Food and Drink Advertising policy, the Healthier Catering Commitment and Good Food Retail Projects.
When engaging with the Food and Drink industry consideration will be given by officers on a case by case basis as to the benefit to public and environmental health. For example, companies which violate the WHO Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes would not be considered supportive of the Mayor’s ambitions to promote breastfeeding and best start in life.

Taxi Driver Toilets

Navin Shah: Further to MQ 2018/0669 can you confirm what facilities are currently accessible to taxi drivers? How does a taxi driver go about getting access to those facilities? How many taxi drivers have made use of those facilities?

The Mayor: Taxi drivers are able to access toilets at a number of publicly accessible locations. Further information is provided here: https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/public-toilets-in-london. Transport for London (TfL) provides this information regularly to taxi and private hire licensees via Twitter, a Weekly Email sent to around 100,000 licensees and via its On Route magazine, aimed at taxi and private hire drivers.
I provided details of aninitialtoilet trialon TfL premisesin my answer toMayor's Question2018/0669.A subsequenttrialtook placebetween February and May 2019atfourlocations(Leicester Square, Baker Street,Oxford Circus and Victoria Tube stations)where rest ranks were situated nearby.Both trials werepromoted widelyamongst the taxi tradebutthe facilities were not widely used.

Taxi Fares Review

Navin Shah: Further to MQ 2018/0670 can you update me on what the additional research on taxi fares and tariffs found and how they were fed into the 2019 fares review?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) considered taxi fares in 2019. As part of this, it undertook a public consultation. Following analysis of the consultation responses, TfL implemented changes to taxi fares.
More information on the 2019 taxi fares and tariffs consultation can be found here: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/taxis/fares-2019/.
TfL is currently considering fares for 2020 which will again include a public consultation.

Learning from August energy blackouts (2)

Andrew Dismore: Was any TfL rolling stock affected by the software issues with restarting following the August energy blackout?

The Mayor: The August energy blackout affected some of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Victoria line trains. The trains saw a power surge and went into self-isolation mode, resulting in the train operators having to power down and then power up the trains. This resulted in some disruption to passenger service.
No other TfL rolling stock was affected.

The Knowledge of London

Navin Shah: Can you update me on your discussions with the Office for Qualifications and Examinations Regulation with regards to establishing the Knowledge as a formal qualification?

The Mayor: In my 2016 Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, I committed to look at ways to raise the profile of the Knowledge and to explore whether it can be accredited as a formal qualification, potentially enabling applicants to apply for study loans.
Transport for London (TfL) has for some time been working closely with the Office for Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, to explore ways for TfL to gain accreditation for the Knowledge.
Following these discussions, it became apparent that to do so would require significant changes to the Knowledge of London process which is not something that TfL, or taxi trade representatives that it has previously discussed this with, would like to pursue further, but it will be kept under consideration.

TfL Advertising

Andrew Boff: How much money has TfL made from advertising each year since 2015?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s gross income for Commercial Advertising Receipts, as stated in its Annual Reports was as follows:
For 2019/20 performance at Quarter 3 is £107m vs £101m at Quarter 3 in 2018/19.

Borough Funding (1)

Navin Shah: How much Local Implementation Plan funding is TfL providing to Boroughs in 2019/20? How much do you plan to provide in 2020/21? Please provides figures that are comparable with those on page 336 of the TfL Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 2018/19.

The Mayor: Taking together the core formula funding for boroughs under the Local Implementation Plan and the Local Transport Funding and support for partnerships, the funding allocated to boroughs in 2019/20 was £67.3 million. This figure will differ from the amount shown in the Annual Report because the latter includes payments on smarter travel, congestion charge payments where relevant. Final figures are only available at the end of the financial year once full spends and claims are available.
The funding for LIP investment is the same for 2020/21, and confirmation letters were sent out to boroughs in December 2019, indicating that these allocations remained the same for each borough.

Junk Food Ban Assessment

Andrew Boff: You promised an assessment of the TfL junk food advertising ban a year after its introduction. It is now almost a year to the day since you introduced this policy. With junk food adverts still on the TfL network, will you assess the policy to be a failure?

The Mayor: My policy to restrict advertising of less healthy food and drink on the TfL estate was implemented in February 2019 and an internal policy review is now underway. The review will involve a robust and evidence-based assessment of the implementation of the policy over the first year of implementation.
A longer-term evaluation of the junk food advertising ban is being carried out independently by a team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This evaluation will run until March 2021 and provide greater understanding of the impact of the policy.
We do know however that the policy has already led to significant changes, with most major food and drink advertisers continuing to advertise on the TfL network through amending their advertising copy and advertising their healthier products.

City Hall Windows 2

Susan Hall: For each of the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, how much has been spent on replacing City Hall Windows, and how much does each window cost?

The Mayor: No windows have been replaced at City Hall during this period.

Taxi Ranks (1)

Navin Shah: How many Taxis ranks are there in London and how many of them are accessible?

The Mayor: There are now approximately 660 taxi ranks in London. This means we have exceeded the target I set to increase by 20 per cent the number of ranks, as set out in my Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, published in 2016.
Road space is extremely competitive across London, with various transport modes vying to secure sites. While it is not always possible to secure road space that provides the ideal level of accessibility, Transport for London works with London boroughs to ensure that all new taxi ranks take into consideration accessibility requirements wherever possible.
I am very proud that London’s entire fleet of 19,000 licensed taxis are accessible. Each vehicle is fitted with a ramp and has a number of additional accessibility features, including a swivel or flip down seat, auxiliary step, high visibility grab handles, low level floor lighting and inductive hearing loop. Further information on the accessible services provides by taxis is provided here: https://youtu.be/cJTgxATt-ZU.

Step free Consultation

Navin Shah: TfL’s 23 October 2019 Programmes and Investment Committee said, “TfL has started to engage with stakeholders on priorities for a future step free access investment on the LU network. We are planning to use this engagement to inform planned consultation on future step-free priorities.” Can you update me on the status of this project and when you expect to launch a consultation?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) planned accessibility consultation will play a key role in shaping the next phase of my Accessibility Programme. TfL is currently working on making the consultation fully accessible using a variety of methods to suit all audiences. TfL tested the questions and process at a pre-consultation workshop with some of the UK’s leading accessibility organisations, its staff network groups and its own Independent Disability Advisory Group.
TfL will release further details of the planned engagement prior to launch in Summer 2020.

Bank Central Line Step Free

Navin Shah: TfL’s 15 May 2019 Programmes and Investment Committee said, “Step-free access to the Central line at Bank station had not been included in the original scope for the project, owing to concerns over the degree of technical and engineering challenges that would need to be overcome, including the curvature of the Central line platforms, and the proximity of other interchange stations in the City of London. A feasibility study had been commissioned to explore options for step free access to the Central line. A viable technical option, for street to platform step free access, had been identified but at an estimated cost of £30m. Members asked that further stakeholder engagement be carried out to determine whether step-free access to the Central line should be delivered.” Can you update me on this stakeholder engagement and the status of this upgrade to the project?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is absolutely committed to increasing step-free access across its network and including it in station upgrade projects where practical. Step-free access has already been introduced to the Waterloo & City line, and once the Bank capacity upgrade is completed in 2022, the station will feature step-free access to the Northern line and improved step-free access to the DLR.
TfL’s feasibility study concluded that, at this stage, step-free solutions to the Central line are prohibitively expensive to install and would be difficult for our customers to use due to the platform curvature and complexity of the station. I understand this is disappointing to those who would wish to use step-free facilities at Bank.
I have asked TfL to keep this under review and consider opportunities where this may become feasible in future. TfL regularly engage with representative groups in London, including organisations like Transport for All, Scope and Age UK London, to ensure the needs of their members, and the people they advocate for, are considered throughout the development of its policies and projects.

Step Free London Underground Stations (2)

Navin Shah: Outside of the £200m scheme to make 30 stations Step Free, since May 2016 what London Underground Stations a) have been made step free or; b) are planned to become step free?

The Mayor: Alongside my Accessibility Programme, Transport for London (TfL) is also providing step-free access as part of larger upgrades at major stations and interchanges.
Since May 2016, the following stations have been made step-free outside of my Accessibility Programme: Tower Hill, Vauxhall, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street, Bromley-by-Bow, Victoria and Finsbury Park.
The Northern line extension will provide another two new step-free stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.
When it is introduced, the Elizabeth line will deliver a step-change in accessibility, with all stations step free from street to platform, including at some of London’s key locations like Ealing Broadway, Whitechapel and Moorgate. This will bring the total number of step-free Tube stations to over 100.
TfL is also progressing step-free access work at Bank (Northern line), Paddington (Bakerloo line) and South Kensington (District), to be delivered within its current Business Plan to 2024/25. This will provide even more accessible routes in London’s busiest areas.
TfL and I are pushing ahead with our ambitious plans to make London a more accessible city and are working with government and third parties to explore all opportunities available to enable us to deliver more accessible stations.

EU Londoners Hub

Susan Hall: How many Londoners have been granted settled status as a direct result of your actions through the EU Londoners Hub?

The Mayor: As Mayor, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that the more than 1 million European Londoners and their families can stay in the UK after Brexit.
City Hall has provided support on the EU Settlement Scheme to hundreds of thousands of European Londoners through our EU Londoners Hub and our public events. The Hub alone has received nearly 600,000 unique visitors. City Hall reached thousands of European Londoners through a series of events in partnership with pro-bono lawyers, providing 1-2-1 immigration advice. We have awarded a total of £110k in micro-grants to community organisations that will provide support and advice to the most vulnerable European Londoners.
While it is not possible to track successful applications for settled status as a direct result of City Hall’s work, government statistics demonstrate that London as a region has the highest proportion of applications relative to the EEA population.

Drug poisoning

Andrew Boff: The number of deaths from drug poisoning is at its highest level nationally since 1993. What initiatives will you be considering in London to reduce the number of deaths from drug consumption?

The Mayor: We have supported the work of Public Health England London to raise awareness of the rise in drug related deaths in London with commissioners, service providers and service users. Research has been undertaken and data provided to help support responses at a local authority level. PHE has also been working to promote improved provision of naloxone which can reverse the effects of opiate overdoses. There have also been improvements in London regional and local authority level information sharing systems. PHE will be running an event with MOPAC in March to improve continuity of care for those leaving prison. We will continue to support these efforts and explore where we can add value in reducing drug related deaths.

Fire boat replacement

Andrew Dismore: When will the new LFB fire boats be fully operational?

The Mayor: The two new fire boats will both be delivered and capable of being operational by August 2021. However, becoming fully operational will be dependent upon the crews undergoing the training programme, the requirements of which cannot be determined until the trainers have seen the boats and their full specifications. The intention is for the training to be completed by August 2021, which would then mean that both boats can become fully operational from September 2021.

Incident commander level evacuation tool

Andrew Dismore: What consideration has LFB given to the fitting of evacuation alarms in high rise premises that can be activated by incident commanders on a floor by floor basis?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has agreed with government proposals that Approved Document B should include a requirement for an emergency evacuation system, which could support the operational response of fire and rescue services by alerting residents if they need to evacuate. However, a building should never require the use of the evacuation alert system if it is designed, built, managed and maintained appropriately. Therefore, the focus should be on ensuring buildings are safe and that such a system will never need to be used. An emergency evacuation system may provide an additional tool for incident commanders to utilise during a fire. It should be recognised that the system must be supported by a package of measures to be effective and that without this it could have the potential to place more people at risk in a fire. That package of measures would include (but not be limited to) appropriate education for residents and appropriate signage. Fire and rescue services must be consulted to ensure they agree with the package of measures proposed and to ensure they have an appropriate understanding of the system installed.

Disease-related malnutrition

Andrew Boff: What work are you doing to address and identify disease-related malnutrition?

The Mayor: Treatment and identification of disease-related malnutrition is the responsibility of NHS England. They aim to deliver safe and high-quality nutrition support through the commissioning of person-centred care and clinically effective integrated services in the community and in health care commissioned settings.
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 14 aims to ensure that people who use services have adequate nutrition and hydration to sustain life and good health and reduce the risks of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment.
To meet this regulation, where it is part of their role, health and care providers must make sure that people have enough to eat and drink to meet their nutrition and hydration needs and receive the support they need to do so. This regulation is monitored by the Care Quality Commission.

Social-related malnutrition

Andrew Boff: What work are you doing to address and identify social-related malnutrition?

The Mayor: The Survey of Londoners showed 1.9 million adults and children experience food insecurity and specific groups, including low-income Londoners, disproportionately experience food insecurity and social isolation. Poverty drives food insecurity and malnutrition and I am doing everything within my power to address it.
I have funded ten boroughs to produce Food Poverty Action Plans and I am taking steps to tackle the cost of living for Londoners by building a record number of genuinely affordable homes. I’ve frozen TfL fares, introduced the hopper bus fare and launched London Power which guarantees competitive energy prices. Through the Good Work Standard, I am encouraging employers to pay the London Living Wage and support their employees with the cost of living.
However, the tools to truly tackle poverty lie in the hands of the Government and it must do more, including immediately reversing the effects of disastrous polices like the benefit freeze and Universal Credit.

Kitchen Social Target

Andrew Boff: Why has your Kitchen Social scheme failed to deliver on its target of providing 300,000 meals to 50,000 children and young people in London by 2020?

The Mayor: Kitchen Social is delivered by the Mayor’s Fund for London, a charity wholly independent of the GLA. I have part-funded specific aspects of the programme to build the capacity of partners to deliver holiday provision across London and develop a robust evidence base for the best holiday provision model.
Following an independent programme evaluation, the Mayor’s Fund established it is best practice to provide more intensive holiday provision (offering greater support to the children most in need) rather than the light-touch model piloted in 2017 when the original target was set.
As such, the Mayor’s Fund took a strategic decision to resource more intensive provision for young people, rather than pursuing targets regardless of the evidence base. In response to the government’s failure to fund permanent, statutory support, Kitchen Social has supported over 100 hubs to provide over 21,000 young people with inclusive, high-quality and sustainable holiday provision in London.

Boroughs Food Group

Andrew Boff: How many London Boroughs are represented on the Boroughs Food Group? If not all London Boroughs then why not?

The Mayor: All of the London Boroughs have been invited and have attended the Boroughs Food Group. It consists of over 200 members with representatives covering a range of disciplines including public health, economy development, education and environmental health. The group is convened by the London Food Board and officers provide support as its secretariat to help local authorities and external partners share intelligence, data and best practice and learn from each other and organisations working on healthy and sustainable food issues across London. On average, each meeting is attended by 50 representatives from approximately 20 different boroughs and other key external partners.

TfL Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired People

Andrew Boff: What measures are you putting in place or exploring to make access to the TfL network easier for blind and visually impaired Londoners?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is fully committed to making London’s transport network more accessible for all Londoners. It delivers Disability Equality Training to its frontline London Underground staff and TfL Professional Services staff to improve customer service and remove barriers to travel. Its station staff offer a turn-up-and-go service, providing advice on accessible journeys as well as guiding customers on and off trains and to the right platform or exit.
All of London’s 25,000 bus drivers will receive Diversity & Inclusion training which will roll out from Autumn 2020 and include information on supporting visually impaired customers to travel safely and easily. TfL's ‘Please Offer Me a Seat’ badge and ‘Look Up’ campaigns encourage all customers to be aware of those who may need a seat.
TfL continues to work with disabled people’s organisations like Guide Dogs and Royal National Institute of Blind People to ensure visually impaired customers are considered throughout its policy and decision-making process. Recently this has included their early involvement in the development of TfL’s Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System on buses.

Taxi Ranks (2)

Navin Shah: Can you provide a summary at the start of the London Taxi Ranks Booklet giving the headline figures for information provided in the booklet, such as the total number of ranks, number of accessible ranks, ranks per borough, etc.?

The Mayor: The London Taxi Ranks Booklet already provides a breakdown of all taxi ranks by borough. As the number of active taxi ranks changes frequently, Transport for London provides information on taxi rank suspensions and closures directly to licensees, by email, as part of its weekly bulletin – also available here: www.tfl.gov.uk/tph-news.

Weapons at London City Hal

Susan Hall: For each of the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 how many weapons have been detected by security at London City Hall, broken down by weapon type?

The Mayor: The following types and numbers of items which are prohibited under the City Hall Admissions Policy but that are not necessarily weapons, have been detected by Security between 2015 and 2019.
Year
Type of item detected by Security on entry to City Hall
K
Sc
M
S
H
O
Total
2019
351
201
52
3
0
184
791
2018
398
229
35
3
1
210
876
2017
441
207
25
2
0
226
901
2016
428
156
47
2
0
137
770
2015
478
126
13
0
2
97
716
Total
2096
919
172
10
3
854
4054
K – Knife (includes penknives, scalpels, folding and fixed blade knives)
Sc - Scissors
M – Multi-tool
S – Syringe
H – Hammer
O – Other (includes tools, chains, padlocks, knitting needles)

Windows 7 3

Susan Hall: How many machines use Windows 7 in TFL?

The Mayor: As a large, asset intensive business, Transport for London (TfL) runs many complex systems including some legacy technology. Due care and attention is taken to protect all assets, whether new or older, including additional security layers of defence, where necessary. Disclosure of further information about these assets may be prejudicial to the overall security of TfL’s services.

Step Free London Underground Stations (1)

Navin Shah: The December 2016 TfL Business Plan committed £200m to make 30 stations Step Free by 2021/22. Can you name those 30 stations and when they became step free or are due to become step free?

The Mayor: I am pushing ahead with my ambitious plans to make London a more accessible city and I have invested unprecedented amounts to deliver the largest boost to accessibility in the Tube’s history.
Since I became Mayor, 11 Tube stations have become step-free, bringing the total to 79. Four of these were part of the 15 stations that were committed as part of the first phase of my Accessibility Programme: Buckhurst Hill, Newbury Park, South Woodford and Mill Hill East.
Work is well underway to deliver step-free access at the remaining 11 Tube stations that are part of the first phase of my Accessibility Programme. As TfL’s press release on 21 February set out, the following stations will be made step-free this year:
In the second phase of my Accessibility Programme, eight stations will be made step-free: Boston Manor, Colindale, Knightsbridge, North Ealing, Park Royal, Rickmansworth, Ruislip and Snaresbrook. This will make 38 per cent of the Tube network fully accessible. This phase was originally going to be delivered by spring 2022. However, due to the lack of certainty around capital investment from Government, some projects and priorities have had to be adapted, and Transport for London (TfL) now expects to complete step-free access at these stations by spring 2024.
TfL and I remain committed to making additional stations step-free and we will be working with Government and third parties to identify all funding options available to enable us to deliver more accessible stations.
TfL is currently working to identify the next group of stations to benefit from my Accessibility Programme, and they will ensure that all stakeholder views are incorporated into this work.

Sutton Tram Extension

Navin Shah: The December 2018 TfL Business Plan says “Continue to develop proposals for an extension of the tram network between Sutton town centre and Merton”, but it is not mentioned in the December 2019 TfL Business Plan. Can you update me on the latest on the project?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) published a ‘Response to Issues Raised’ report from the previous public consultation on 10 February 2020. This confirms the preferred option is a tram route between Sutton town centre and Colliers Wood.
TfL has been working with the London boroughs of Sutton and Merton to explore options and make the case for funding for the scheme. At present, however, while some funding has been identified, a significant funding gap remains. To cover this, more funding will be needed from both local and national sources and I will continue to seek opportunities to secure this funding.

Bakerloo Line Extension

Navin Shah: Your predecessor’s TfL Budget 2016/17 and Business Plan says, “After assessing a number of options we have confirmed we will focus on an extension from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham via the Old Kent Road, as a first phase. This alignment provides the greatest opportunity to support growth with the potential to unlock 25,000 new homes while improving access to jobs in central London. Next year more detailed work will be carried out before another public consultation and we could then seek permission from Government to start constructing the extension by 2020.” Last year’s consultation says, “Subject to funding and design development we could apply for permission to build the extension through a Transport & Works Act Order in 2023”. Can you outline what has led to a 3-year delay and applying for a TWAO?

The Mayor: I remain committed to the Bakerloo Line Extension and to delivering it as soon as possible. Extending the Bakerloo line provides an enormous opportunity to unlock untapped productivity and tens of thousands of new homes in south east London.
Since the publication of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) 2016/17 Business Plan, funding constraints have meant the timeline for the scheme has had to be revised. Despite this, TfL is making good progress in developing the scheme, most recently carrying out a consultation on the latest design in autumn 2019. TfL is also working with Government to explore safeguarding options and in my submission to HM Treasury for the Budget, I have specifically highlighted the Bakerloo Line Extension as an example of one of the schemes that we could work on together.

20 MPH Roads

Navin Shah: Can you confirm which boroughs a) currently have a 20MPH limit across all roads they operate and maintain; b) currently have 20MPH zones; and c) currently have no 20MPH limits or zones?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) holds information on the speed limit for the roads it operates on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). TfL will launch a 20mph speed limit across the whole TLRN in central London in March 2020, in line with my Vision Zero Action Plan commitments (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/vision-zero-action-plan.pdf).
TfL hold information that the following boroughs have a 20mph speed limit on most of the roads that they operate: Brent, City of London, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth,
Detailed queries relating to the speed limit on borough roads are best directed to individual London councils, who will hold more up to date information about their own road networks.

New orbital links for outer London

Navin Shah: What new orbital links for outer London have you introduced, or plan to introduce, as Mayor?

The Mayor: Through Transport for London, I have introduced a number of new or enhanced orbital links in outer London.
For buses, this includes:
The ‘mini-Holland’ schemes in Enfield, Kingston and Waltham Forest also include new orbital cycling and walking links between local town centres. There has also recently been consultation on proposals for cycling and walking improvements in outer London connecting Ilford, Barking and Barking Riverside.
New, electric, air-conditioned four-car trains introduced on the Gospel Oak to Barking line have increased the capacity and service quality on this key orbital rail link.
I have provided funding to build a new third track on the West Anglia Main Line to provide higher frequency orbital services from Stratford to Tottenham Hale, Meridian Water and the Lea Valley opportunity area.
I have secured Housing Infrastructure Fund contributions for improved services on the East London line section of London Overground and services on the DLR.
Looking forward, I have a number of plans to further improve orbital links, as set out in my Transport Strategy. This includes an extension of the DLR to Thamesmead via Beckton and, the West London Orbital, a rail scheme aiming to enhance public transport connectivity in west London.

Station Overcrowding

Keith Prince: How many TfL stations have been fully or partially closed due to overcrowding each year since 2015? Please give a breakdown by station.

The Mayor: Please find the requested data in the attached spreadsheet.
Transport for London is tackling overcrowding by modernising the network with unprecedented levels of investment in the Tube. This has included projects to significantly increase the capacity of Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Victoria stations in the past few years. Work is also well underway to modernise Bank Station, with works to increase the capacity of the station by 40 per cent due to be completed by 2022.

Parking for Cargo Bikes near High Streets

Leonie Cooper: Is TfL starting to give consideration to parking options for cargo bikes in high streets to help the revival of retail areas?

The Mayor: Yes, Transport for London’s London Cycling Design Standards provides clear guidance that five per cent of new cycle parking spaces should be suitable for larger cycles, including cargo bikes. This applies to both on-street cycle parking and cycle parking delivered through new developments.
To help achieve this, Transport for London is also exploring ways of signing the end stand in a row of cycle parking to reserve it for larger cycles. Trial layouts are being planned alongside new Cycleways.
Together with the delivery of more high street cycle parking as part of the Cycle Parking Implementation Plan, released in July 2019, this will enable more businesses and shoppers to benefit from using cargo bikes.

TfL Staff Discounts (1)

Keith Prince: How much has the TfL staff Eurostar discount cost TfL each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: There is no cost to Transport for London (TfL) for the Eurostar staff discount scheme. TfL and Eurostar have a reciprocal agreement in place where reduced rate travel is offered on each other’s services.

Uber 2

Andrew Boff: For each of the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 for TFL, please provide the following:
• Number of expenses claims for Uber journeys
• Amount spent on expenses claims for Uber journeys

The Mayor: All expenditure within Transport for London (TfL) is carefully assessed to ensure it is essential to providing a safe, efficient, extensive and reliable transport network, including expenses incurred by staff. Expenses claims in relation to taxi journeys will typically be from staff who are called upon to travel out of the capital on business and attend conferences and other out of hours business related activities.
TfL does not record the information you have requested for Uber journeys as its expenses claims system does not differentiate between taxi or private hire journeys. All taxi fares claimed by TfL staff including Uber are recorded under the category “taxi”. I have therefore provided you with the total number of claims and amount spent on taxis for 2015-19 in the attached table.

Soho NHS walk-in centre

Tony Devenish: What specifically can you do to help Nickie Aiken MP and West End councillors campaign to save the Soho NHS Walk in Centre?

The Mayor: My statutory powers in relation to the NHS are limited, however I will continue to use every opportunity to champion and challenge our NHS. I believe Londoners should be able to access high quality health and care services when and where they need them. This means prioritising primary and community care provision so that people can be treated as close to home as possible. Walk in centres are important to many different groups, including London’s homeless population. Future plans for the walk-in centre in Soho, or any alternative provision, must remain accessible and continue to meet this wide range of needs.
I will, as I have done in previous occasions, ask officers to raise the issue of the closure of walk-in centres with the office of the London Regional Director. I am also working closely with partners to support the London Health and Care Vision for London ambition to ensure that those who experience homelessness have equal access to healthcare.

Cycling maps

Caroline Russell: A constituent has written to me after trying to print out a cycle map provided by Transport for London (TfL) on its website. They were unable to create a paper map that was usable from the web page provided. If Londoners need a map on paper with which to navigate your cycle network, how should they obtain one?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s Journey Planner offers easy, moderate and fast cycle routes. For a printed version, select one of the three routes and click ‘View directions’. You can then use your web browser’s print function to print the turn-by-turn directions and accompanying Google map.

Driver courses

Keith Prince: Please provide the names of driver training courses offered to drivers instead of penalty points/fines, the names of the organisations that provide the course, and for each of years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the amount generated by the courses and a breakdown of where the money goes, including to each provider?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) administrates the National Speed Awareness Course (NSAC) on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) for offenders caught speeding by TfL cameras in Greater London. TfL currently outsources the delivery of these courses to the course provider DriveTech.
Depending on where the speeding offence occurs (inside or outside of London) or where the offender chooses to take a course (inside or outside of London), determines the way the fees are distributed. This makes it difficult to provide a meaningful breakdown of the financials given the possible scenarios and outcomes.TfL would be very happy to offer an in-person briefing to you to provide this narrative and information in full.
The fee charged to participants cover a national administration fee, the full costs of the course and contribute to the costs of speed enforcement, offence processing, maintenance of safety cameras and course delivery. The provision of driver trainings courses in London does not generate a surplus.
The driver courses that the MPS offer are listed below, these courses are also delivered by DriveTech:

Go Look See (1)

Keith Prince: During the Transport Commissioner’s appearance before the Transport Committee on 4 February 2020, he mentioned that TfL had instituted a process called “Go Look See” which meant a senior member of TfL was sent to investigate every single Bus Crash where someone was killed or seriously injured. Please provide me with all correspondence (emails, meeting minutes, decision memorandums, handwritten notes) associated with the establishment of TfL’s "Go Look See" Bus Crash Investigation Process.

The Mayor: I am committed to eradicating the tragic occurrences of people being killed or seriously injured on London’s roads. An essential factor in achieving this will be to learn from collisions on the road network to inform and develop our approach. For this reason, Transport for London (TfL) has developed the Go Look See process, which was introduced in October 2018.
The process involves a site visit at the location of fatal traffic collisions in London to identify road danger at the location, and opportunities to minimise risk in future. It is important to note that the purpose of the Go, Look, See process is not to investigate or establish the root cause of the incident (as these will be explored through the parallel processes led by the Police and as part of the Notification and Investigation of Major Incidents (NIMI) process), but to identify opportunities to prevent the reoccurrence of such collisions.
Where there has been an incident that results in a fatal injury and involves one of TfL’s bus fleet, the location will be visited by senior managers from TfL Bus operations and the relevant operator. The purpose of these visits is to gain an understanding of where the incident took place and record any observations that are relevant to the incident investigation, as part of the NIMI process.
Given the technical nature of this documentation, TfL has suggested that officials meet with you to provide further detail on the establishment of the Go Look Process.

Consultants and Agency Staff

Navin Shah: TfL have provided me with the following information on the amount of money spent on consultants and agency staff.
Year
Consultancy
NPL (Agency)
Total
2015/16
£114,217,392
£169,435,445
£283,652,837
2016/17
£112,441,577
£189,577,688
£302,019,265
2017/18
£106,062,033
£106,419,406
£212,481,439
2018/19
£108,616,880
£77,550,912
£186,167,792
Can you provide an estimate of the cost of consultant and agency staff for 2019/20?

The Mayor: The latest available information is on page 20 of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Quarterly Performance Report covering the first three quarters of the 2019/20 year:http://content.tfl.gov.uk/qpr-3-2019-20.pdf
Full year figures for 2019/20 will be published in TfL’s Quarter 4 Performance Report in due course.
Because Consultancy work and the use of agency staff are primarily for short-term projects or unexpected peaks in demand, spend values fluctuate considerably and TfL does not publish future estimates.

Enabling the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and HMICFRS report recommendations

Andrew Dismore: How will the £7.7m increase in London Fire Brigade’s budget help implement the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase one report, and the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report, both of which set out urgent and wide-ranging reforms?

The Mayor: The LFC is committed to addressing the Grenfell and HMICFRS recommendations and has prepared a transformation delivery plan to support this. The LFC’s final budget 2020/21 will include resource to meet the cost of the transformation delivery plan in the first two years, including funding for a Transformation Director, increased internal and external assurance, and additional training, systems development and counselling and well-being services. The plan will also support identifying how the Brigade will seek to deliver efficiencies in later years.

Capital spend on cycle parking

Caroline Russell: What has been your investment in cycle parking by year from 2016-17 up to 2019-20, and what is the expected spend by Transport for London (TfL) for 2020-21 to 2024-25?

The Mayor: Cycle parking is key to enabling more Londoners to cycle. I have published a cycle parking strategy in summer 2019 with an objective that every cycle trip starts and ends with a safe place to park.
The question asks for capital spend, but for historic delivery of cycle parking, particularly where it has been a smaller component of a wider scheme, a cost breakdown is not readily available and summarised at portfolio level so it is not easy to consolidate the financial information. Records are not held of cycle parking provided off-highway by developers or businesses. We can however summarise the number of cycle parking spaces and stands that were delivered on the highway network.
In 2016/17, through the Local Improvement Plan (LIP) funding mechanism boroughs installed 5,383 cycle spaces on borough roads, and TfL installed 298 cycle stands (with multiple spaces) on the TLRN.
In 2017/18 through the LIP funding mechanism boroughs installed 7,160 cycle spaces on borough roads, and TfL installed 24 cycle stands (with multiple spaces) on the TLRN.
In 2018/19, through the LIP funding mechanism boroughs installed 4,658 cycle spaces on borough roads, and TfL installed 377 cycle stands (with multiple spaces) on the TLRN.
Following the publication of the Cycle Parking Action Plan in July 2019 we have invested £3.5m in 2019/20 to accelerate the delivery of cycle parking across London, using detailed analysis to identify the areas of greatest demand. With TfL funding, boroughs have committed to install nearly 8,000 new cycle parking spaces, including secure cycle parking in residential areas and at stations, new spaces in nearly 100 schools and thousands of new on-street spaces on high-streets and town centres.
We will continue to work closely with boroughs and other stakeholders to deliver more cycle parking in future years, following the principles set out in the plan. We will invest a further £1m per year through to 2024/25 for the delivery of the plan and will re-assess this budget allocation based on demand from London boroughs.

Decentralised Energy Enabling Project (DEEP) (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many of the 60 potential sites identified to be incorporated into a heat network are being taken forward?

The Mayor: DEEP has funded Transport for London to investigate the feasibility of using waste heat from 56 ventilation shafts on the London Underground network. This project is being undertaken in three phases. Phases one and two are now complete and initially investigated 56 sites at a high level. 20 of the most promising sites were then investigated in greater detail. The project is now at phase three, which is assessing the low carbon heat potential of 6 sites to serve London heat networks.

5G base stations

Leonie Cooper: Local authorities in London are starting to receive planning applications for 30m high 5G base stations, including in open spaces, near schools, etc. Many constituents have expressed concern that they are extremely intrusive and also that they may harm health. What assurances have you received from Government concerning health and in terms of open space, and do you have a view on their visual intrusion?

The Mayor: I have sought advice from Public Health England (PHE) on the impact of 5G base stations on health. PHE advises the Government on all aspects of public health, including exposure to radio waves, and the appropriate standards of protection for the general population. They advise that the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and there is no convincing evidence that radio wave exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects. PHE advises that exposures to electromagnetic fields in the environment, including those arising from 5G are normally well below the levels recommended in the ICNIRP guidelines. More information on PHE’s advice on radio waves and 5G is available in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/electromagnetic-fields
I responded to a consultation from the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport last year on permitted development rights to support the deployment of 5G. Whilst I support initiatives that improve digital connectivityit is essential that where required proposals for new or upgraded infrastructure have their potential local impacts (e.g. their visual impact) appropriately considered through the planning process.

Tube delays

Susan Hall: List all delays by Underground line, categorised by 'severe' and 'mild', on the TfL tube network over the past 12 months.

The Mayor: London Underground typically runs over 96 per cent of its scheduled services and in 2018/19 the total number of passenger journeys on the Tube network was 1.38 billion, an increase from 1.17 billion in 2011/12.
The table shows the number of days each line has advertised minor or severe delays through the London Underground Control Centre from 1 February 2019 to 31 January 2020. Days refers to calendar days from 0000-2359 hours.
Due to the interrelated working of the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, one incident could impact multiple lines.

TfL Business Plan (2)

Navin Shah: There is a£749m drop (shown in the capital account) in planned new capital investment (2018/19 to 2023/24) between the 2018 and 2019 business plans.The 2019 business plan says, “We have taken a more pragmatic approach to reflect the fact that some projects will be delayed – often due to complex procurements, consultation with stakeholders and delivery outside our own infrastructure”. Has that £749m been re-profiled to 2024/25 and beyond as a result of these delays; or has the cost of the capital projects been reduced; or have any capital projects been paused or cancelled?

The Mayor: The reduction in the funding envelope reflects Transport for London’s (TfL’s) more pragmatic approach to future programme funding. TfL’s capital programme delivers the schemes in last year’s portfolio, other than the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf which has been paused. The remaining reduction is largely driven by a change in financial planning assumptions around deliverability.
Delivering the same for less means TfL can invest the savings in more projects. For example, measuring the success of Healthy Streets by the schemes delivered, such as the trebling of segregated cycle ways since 2016, is a better indication of success than pounds spent. This is especially true for Healthy Streets where TfL has incorporated its experience around delivery of the programme as it has matured and developed. TfL now plans for a broader pipeline of schemes that can be brought forward as necessary depending on wider delivery within the portfolio, while maintaining affordability within the financial envelope. As with some of TfL’s other major portfolios, there has been an underspend in Healthy Streets previously – increasing the financial overprogramming in line with actual delivery trends will help address this.

Changing 5 Year Baseline in Bus Safety Scorecard to more accurately reflect Bus Safety Performance under your Leadership

Keith Prince: A former TfL Director and Safety Panel Chair has provided evidence to the Transport Committee which shows that TfL’s use of a 2005-2009 baseline in its Scorecard masks worsening performance since 2016 because that baseline allows TfL to capture benefits made to safety under your predecessor. Will you, as TfL chair, ask the TfL Board to change the baseline to 2011-2015 immediately so that Bus Safety performance under your leadership can be more accurately and transparently depicted?

The Mayor: The 2005-2009 time period used as a baseline in the Transport for London (TfL) Bus Safety Scorecard was set by the Department for Transport (DfT). TfL have adopted this baseline in order to ensure that our performance is comparable with the national dataset.
This baseline is used to assess performance against the 2022 target of a 65 per cent reduction in in people killed or seriously injured on London’s streets and a 70 per cent reduction in people killed or seriously injured in collision involving a bus by 2022.
TfL will change the baseline to 2010-2014, in line with the DfT, for future reporting against the 2030 target, as set out in my Vision Zero Action Plan (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/vision-zero-action-plan.pdf).
A five-year average is used for the baseline for statistical purposes to ensure that anomalies relating to a particular year do not distort future year performance assessment.
TfL publicly reports on these targets on a quarterly and annual basis through the published Health, Safety & Environment reports (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-hse-annual-report-2018-19.pdf), which include near term reporting. This shows performance against the targets by quarter for the last eight quarters and by year for the last 5 years.

Go Look See (3)

Keith Prince: Which TfL executive is responsible for (1) carrying out “Go Look See" investigations and (2a) collecting (2b) analysing and (2c) distributing information collected from TfL’s “Go Look See” Bus Crash Investigation Process?

The Mayor: The Go Look See process which was introduced in October 2018 involves a site visit at the location of fatal traffic collisions in London to identify road danger at the location, opportunities for early learnings and to provide quick responses to minimise risk in the future.
Relevant teams from Transport for London (TfL) and the London boroughs are invited to attend the Go, Look, See site visits. These officers will have specific training in their respective fields, such as road safety audit (RSA), traffic or signal engineering.
It is important to note that the purpose of the Go, Look, See process is not to investigate or establish the root cause of the incident, but to identify opportunities to reduce risk at the location. This process supports the formal investigation led by the Metropolitan Police Service and Notification and Investigation of Major Incidents (NIMI) processes.
In TfL, the process is organised by its Safety, Health and Environment team who collate observations made at site from relevant TfL teams, and other attendees when available, such as London borough representatives and the Metropolitan or City of London Police officers. Observations and actions are then discussed and agreed with the relevant TfL and London borough contacts.
Lilli Matson, TfL’s Chief Safety Health and Environment Officer is the TfL executive responsible for oversight of the process.

Healthy food dialogue with industry

Onkar Sahota: What discussions have you had with the food industry (both for groceries and out of home meals) over improving the nutritional content of the food they market and advertise?

The Mayor: I regularly engage with and consult some of the food industry’s largest representative bodies through the London Food Board, which meets quarterly and consists of leaders spanning the breadth of the food system.
The Board was integral to the development of my London Food Strategy and continues to inform the implementation of key commitments including TfL’s Healthier Food and Drink Advertising policy.
Officers have also engaged Board members and other industry stakeholders throughout the development of the Healthier Catering Commitment Tier 2, which is aimed at larger food businesses in the out of home sector and includes new criteria focusing on reformulation and calorie labelling.
The London Child Obesity Taskforce are also engaging with the industry on ways in which they can take action to support London’s children to maintain a healthy weight.
Finally, I have funded five boroughs to develop and begin to implement Good Food Retail Projects this year, many of which focus on working closely with local convenience stores to improve the nutritional content of their food offer and to promote healthy start vouchers.

Social prescribing

Onkar Sahota: The London Assembly Health Committee undertook a call for evidence and submitted a response to the Mayor's Social Prescribing Vision in March 2019. The response highlighted the importance of having various partners work together for social prescribing to work successfully and doing more to ensure that the vision reaches all Londoners, including underrepresented groups. What is the Mayor doing to support health and social care providers and local boroughs to ensure access to social prescribing for vulnerable Londoners?

The Mayor: My Health Team are working with partners to progress the workstreams set out in ‘Next Steps for Social Prescribing’. This includes for example, working with the NHS and regional facilitators on the development of and training for link workers, and sharing information across the STPs. I recognise that the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector are well-placed to reach out to the most vulnerable Londoners. We are therefore commissioning a VCSE social prescribing network to help strengthen capacity. We are also seeking to better understand the needs of vulnerable Londoners and where the opportunities are to provide better support. For example, the GLA is funding a food growing programme, access to social welfare legal advice and a small grants programme to support volunteering projects for people experiencing loneliness and social isolation.

TfL Business Plan (1)

Navin Shah: Why is there an £82 million drop in Business Rates between 2022/23 and 2023/24 as shown in the Operating Account?

The Mayor: The drop of £82 million reflects the end of an adjustment of £100 million of investment business rates from the capital account to operating account, which was required from 2019/20 to 2022/23, to support the loss revenue from the delayed opening of the Elizabeth line. The Business Plan assumes that business rates will rise with inflation so £100 million reduction is off set by the inflation assumption to a net reduction of £82 million.

Reducing the burden of ill health at work

Onkar Sahota: How will your budget make sure Londoners can access employment that is health promoting?

The Mayor: Workplaces that promote and support both good physical and mental health are vital to the productivity of our economy. My Health Workplace Award recognises businesses across the capital who are investing in the health and wellbeing of their workforce and provides tools and resources to support them to develop this work further.
We know that there are particular sectors where poor health is exacerbated and types of work that can have a negative impact on wellbeing. For example, jobs with low pay or night-time working. I will, therefore, be using £66,000of my health budget to support those sectors specifically, including developing a tailored communications plan to reach employees in these types of workplaces.

Step-Free Tube

Navin Shah: The Transport Committee has recently been investigating Accessible and Inclusive Transport in London and we are aware of your £200m commitment to making more than 30 additional Tube stations step-free between 2017/18 and 2021/22? Do you intend to continue this programme beyond 2022?

The Mayor: My current Accessibility Programme runs until 2023/24 and Transport for London and I are currently working to identify the next group of stations to benefit from my Accessibility Programme. Please see my answers to Mayor's Question 2020/0649 and 2020/0653.

Hailo

David Kurten: In your answer to MQ 2019/17376 you stated that Hailo (now known as Free Now) is outside of TfL’s regulatory remit and it is a stakeholder that TfL engages with on a regular basis, but you did not answer the central question about whether TfL’s general manager for taxis and private hire carried out an investigation in 2013 about Hailo’s minimum fare policy and if so, what was the outcome of that investigation?
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/not-fare-taxi-app-in-10-minimum-charge-8915596.html

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) sought and received further information on Hailo’s pricing structure at the time. As explained in my response to Mayor's Question 2019/17376, there are no provisions within the current regulatory framework for TfL to regulate taxi app-based services.

‘Managed’ Migration of Universal Credit (1)

Fiona Twycross: Do you share my concerns that the ‘managed’ migration to Universal Credit risks pushing vulnerable Londoners into severe financial hardship?

The Mayor: Yes, I do. Far from being a tool for fighting poverty, Universal Credit is instead having the opposite effect. Its numerous design flaws have already driven thousands of Londoners to foodbanks or left them with unmanageable rent arrears - and if unresolved the situation will only get worse once ‘managed’ migration begins.
What concerns me most is that the process will see thousands of the most disadvantaged Londoners facing the very real risk of having their benefits cut off entirely if they are not properly supported to make a new claim.
I’ve made this point to the Government on several occasions and I urge them again to immediately halt the rollout of Universal Credit and completely overhaul it to fix the underlying problems. They must also revisit their plans for ‘managed’ migration to ensure that claimants in the most vulnerable situations are fully protected.

2019 Quarterly Bus Safety Data

Caroline Pidgeon: In response to Question 2020/0012 TfL has published bus safety data for Quarter 2 and Quarter 3, but the new data is in an entirely different format and lacks the granularity of the previous 21 Quarters of published data. How is removing the name of the bus operator involved, the Borough in which it took place, the bus route and a host of important details about the victim and the mode of transport an “upgrade” that improves ”timeliness and accuracy in the long term”? When will TfL replace the Q2 and Q3 Quarterly data with data with the same format and granularity of the previous 21 Quarterly reports?

The Mayor: The bus safety data has since been updated, with the dataset containing all of the details mentioned.
The upgrades refer to systems and processes used to produce this report, which should mean we are able to share our data sooner in the future rather than changing the granularity of the report.

Process for Customer Complaints About Buses

Joanne McCartney: Could you tell me what the process is for when customers make complaints to TfL regarding the buses? A constituent was told they would have to contact the bus operator themselves as opposed to TfL getting in touch then replying to the constituent.

The Mayor: Customers wishing to make a complaint about bus services should contact Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Customer Services department. It’s contact details are provided below. Dependant on the nature of the complaint, TfL will then contact the relevant bus operator to investigate. Once its investigations are complete, TfL will review the outcome and then respond directly to the customer.
There are only two circumstances where TfL would advise a customer to contact the bus operator directly. The first is if they have been involved in an accident or injury and are pursuing a claim as TfL does not get involved in the claims handling process. The other is where a customer has lost an item within 5 days of contacting TfL. (TfL’s Lost Property team handle all other lost property contacts).
0343 222 1234
TfL Customer Services,
4th Floor, 14 Pier Walk,
London, SE10 0ES
https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-buses

Transport for London energy (2)

Leonie Cooper: What was Transport for London's electricity bill for each year of the last four years? What is the current status of TfL's electricity supply contract?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) current Crown Commercial Service Energy Supply Framework agreement expires on 31st March 2023. Its electricity bill is set out in the table.

Transport for London energy (4)

Leonie Cooper: What action has Transport for London undertaken to explore routes for i. electricity demand side response; ii. electricity storage; and iii. local energy supply?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is aiming for all of its rail services to be zero carbon by 2030. The principles of TfL’s Energy and Carbon Strategy and feasibility work undertaken to date are outlined in two submissions to TfL’s Safety, Sustainability and Human Resources panel:
As part of this and responding to points i and ii, TfL has considered the potential benefits of demand side response and electricity storage and is continuing to monitor the market to assess such schemes. The opportunity to deploy energy storage as a complementary measure to renewables such as solar photovoltaic is limited for most London Underground (LU) sites due to large electricity consumption across LU’s private power network.
TfL is involved in two demonstration projects to further understand opportunities for stationary battery storage and vehicle-to-grid technology to balance supply with demand. These projects seek to understand the commercial case for deploying each technology at scale to maximise renewables and lower costs of upgrading and operating electricity networks.
With regard to point iii, TfL issued a prior information notice (PIN) in October 2018 concerning “potential opportunities to connect directly with existing or imminently and viably developed suppliers”. TfL also completed a study through the GLA’s DEEP framework in 2019 to assess the potential for sites adjacent to London Underground’s network to host large scale solar photovoltaic. TfL is using the outputs of these studies to inform its approach to procurement.

Step free access

Caroline Pidgeon: TfL’s website currently states in the year 2019/20: Amersham, Burnt Oak, Cockfosters, Debden, Hanger Lane, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Ickenham, Mill Hill East, Northolt, Osterley, Sudbury Hill and Wimbledon Park will become step free. For each of the stations please state the actual month this year when step free access will start to operate.

The Mayor: I am pushing ahead with my ambitious plans to make London a more accessible city and I have invested unprecedented amounts to deliver the largest boost to accessibility in the Tube’s history.
Since I became Mayor, 11 Tube stations have become step-free, bringing the total to 79. Four of these were part of the first phase of my Accessibility Programme: Buckhurst Hill, Newbury Park, South Woodford and Mill Hill East.
Work is well underway to deliver step-free access at the remaining 11 Tube stations that are part of the first phase of my Accessibility Programme. As TfL’s press release on 21 February set out, the following stations will be made step-free this year:
In the next phase of my Accessibility Programme eight stations will be made step-free by Spring 2024: Boston Manor, Colindale, Knightsbridge, North Ealing, Park Royal, Rickmansworth, Ruislip and Snaresbrook. This will make 38 per cent of the Tube network fully accessible.
The continued modernisation of the Tube is a key part of my Transport Strategy to make London a greener, more accessible place. While Transport for London (TfL) and I continue to take this kind of positive action for London, the lack of certainty around capital investment from government in the future is making it much harder to deliver some projects and priorities. TfL and I remain committed to making additional stations step-free and will be working with government and third parties to identify all funding options available to enable us to deliver more accessible stations.

TfL's Failure to implement Advanced Driving Tests (3)

Keith Prince: Does the Mayor agree that TfL TPH are at fault for not implementing advanced driving tests for private hire drivers as instructed by you in your taxi and private hire action plan, and therefore, TfL TPH are directly responsible for any injury or suffering that is being caused to Londoners because of TfL TPH's failure to regulate?

The Mayor: No. Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/0089.

TfL Licensing Appointment

Keith Prince: A taxi driver has been asked to attend a licensing appointment by TfL, but hasn't been told what the appointment is about. He has also been asked to attend alone and without any representation.
(a). Does the Mayor think that it is acceptable for TfL not to inform taxi drivers why they have been called in by TfL TPH for an appointment?
(b). Does the Mayor agree that by not informing a taxi driver as to the reason(s) why they have been called into to a licensing appointment with TfL causes undue anxiety & stress?
(c). Does the Mayor agree that TfL TPH are wrong to inform taxi drivers that they should attend a licensing appointment alone, and does the Mayor encourage that taxi drivers should have trade union representation when attending licensing appointments with TfL TPH?
(d). How will the Mayor ensure that TfL TPH are not deliberately trying use their power unfairly to cause anxiety to taxi drivers and what governance of complaints process in in place should this be the case?

The Mayor: It would not be appropriate for Transport for London (TfL) to discuss the personal circumstances of an individual driver in a public forum. Nevertheless, I am assured by TfL that it would always inform a licensee of the purpose of a meeting and whether they may wish to consider bringing additional representation.
Note that there are instances where bringing additional representation to a meeting would be irregular. An example of this would be where TfL wishes to discuss a specific issue, such as a driver’s medical health, which does not relate to a driver’s relicensing or any other wider issues.

TfL's Failure to implement Advanced Driving Tests (1)

Keith Prince: A taxi driver has been asking TfL questions in regards to TfL's failure to implement advanced driving tests for private hire drivers for the last 9 months without a reply. Do you accept this is unacceptable?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) endeavours torespond to all correspondence in a timely manner. TfL and I have answered similar queries on a number of occasions, however if the Assembly Member can provide details, I will ask TfL to look into this particular case.
I provided a response onTfL’s Safety in Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) consultation, which included a proposal to introduce an advanced driving test for PHV drivers, inMayor’s Question2020/0089.

TfL's Failure to implement Advanced Driving Tests (2)

Keith Prince: The driver suffered physical health issues and anxiety due to the non-fault accident caused by a private hire driver who had been working on the Uber platform for 2 days. Do you agree that if TfL had implemented advanced driving tests for private hire drivers as per your 2016 taxi and private hire action plan, then the taxi driver might not have suffered the subsequent personal injuries?

The Mayor: I am sorry to hear of any road user who has suffered physical or emotional harm as a result of a collision on a road in London. This is why I launched my Vision Zero plan, with the goal of eradicating all deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport network by 2041. Transport for London also has an Incident Support Service (The Sarah Hope Line) that offers assistance to people who have been injured during, or affected by, a serious incident on the transport network. This service is available to taxi and private hire licensees and TfL is aware of some licensees making use of this service.
Please also see my responses to Mayor’s Questions 2020/0754 and 2020/0089.

Temporary staff spend in the NHS

Onkar Sahota: Freedom of Information requests I submitted to NHS Trusts suggest that in 2018/19 they spent around £1 billion on bank and agency staff. What discussions, if any, have you had with Sir David Sloman about reducing this figure and the impact this may have on the resilience of services as part of your regular meetings?

The Mayor: The NHS has rightly identified agency staff as an area where costs could be reduced. I am assured by Sir David that work is underway with trusts and that agency staffing costs in London are slowly reducing. I understand that bank staffing is more complex, in that these are permanent NHS trust staff who register with in a ‘bank system’ with one or more trusts. An increase in bank shifts and a reduction in agency staff can be better for patient safety and continuity of care and system leaders are working together to develop system-based banks to support demand across sites. If you have particular concerns around ‘bank staff’ please share these with the Health Team and I will raise them with Sir David on your behalf.

OLA (2)

Keith Prince: Section 9 (8) of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) (Operators' Licences) Regulations 2000 state; any fare payable in respect of the [private hire] booking shall be calculated as if the vehicle was a private hire vehicle unless the fare shown on the taximeter is less. Will you be prosecuting any taxi driver who charges more that the private hire fare estimate given to the passenger by OLA?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/0750.

Increasing Healthy early years London (HEYL) uptake in deprived areas

Onkar Sahota: Your answer to question 2020/0297 noted only 74 schools in the 10% most deprived areas (3% of total registered schools) have signed up to the HEYL. What are you doing to increase this?

The Mayor: My response to question Mayor's Question 2020/0297, referred to Healthy Schools London rather than Healthy Early Years London.
To increase uptake in Healthy Schools London my team is working with the Healthy Schools Leads in 28 of London’s Local Authorities to increase school engagement and progression through the 3 different levels of Awards.
To increase uptake in Healthy Early Years London, my team is currently responding to the December 2019 HEYL Evaluation recommendations. This includes including making amendments to the programme’s design and delivery, and targeting support in high priority boroughs, with high levels of deprivation.

London’s nursing shortfall

Onkar Sahota: In your response to question 2020/0296 you estimated that 6300 of the 36,000 new nurses the Government has promised will be assigned to London NHS Trusts. On current vacancy rates, this would leave nearly 4000 empty nursing posts in London. Do you agree that the Government’s action does not go far enough?

The Mayor: I welcome the Government’s recognition that nurse recruitment and retention needs to be an urgent priority and to be funded accordingly. It is vital that London has a full complement of nurses to ensure that Londoners’ receive the world-renowned care that the NHS provides; to relieve the pressure on existing staff who are often covering staffing shortfalls; and to reduce the pressure on NHS finances. Sir David Sloman, NHS London Regional Director will oversee the plans in London and there will be five sub-regional workforce strategies. I look forward to seeing how these plans will develop, and I will continue to raise my concerns about workforce at my regular meetings with Sir David.

London’s nursing staff living in the red (2)

Onkar Sahota: When will the London Health Board begin and complete its review of the cost of living in London for health workers, as noted in the London Health Vision?

The Mayor: This work is already underway through the Capital Nurse programme which is led by Health Education England. The London Health Board will discuss the plans for implementation of the London Health and Care Vision at its next meeting.

London’s nursing staff living in the red (1)

Onkar Sahota: What consideration have you made of the findings and recommendations of the Royal College of Nursing’s report on the unsustainable cost of living in London?

The Mayor: I welcome the Royal College of Nursing’s report which importantly highlights the cost pressures faced by our valued frontline NHS nurses. Their findings are timely and will help London’s NHS to implement the forthcoming national People’s Plan. I am playing my part, as acknowledged in the report, by freezing tube fares and introducing the ‘hopper fare’ on London’s buses. I remain committed to increasing levels of affordable housing and support for Londoners to get on the housing ladder. My Health Adviser, Dr Tom Coffey, met with the RCN on 19 February and I will discuss workforce issues in my next meeting with Sir David Sloman, Regional Director, NHS London.

Tube Journey Times

Susan Hall: Can you provide any data which shows the average time for journeys across the Tube network, for each line, from 2016-2019?

The Mayor: Please find the requested data in the attached spreadsheet.
These figures are estimated using Oyster card data and only apply to journeys carried out on a single Tube line.

Voting rights for EU Londoners

Joanne McCartney: Do you support full voting rights for EU citizens who will remain in their home city of London?

The Mayor: Our 1 million EU Londoners could not vote in the EU Referendum. The result continues to negatively impact them and their families. They are now required to apply for Settled Status to legally reside in Britain post-Brexit – this is an immigration status not enshrined in primary legislation, that does not confer full voting rights.
It is encouraging that the Electoral Commission has confirmed that EU citizens will retain their voting rights for the 2020 local elections, but the Government should move urgently to confirm the full voting rights of all eligible EU Londoners beyond 2020.
At a time when British democracy is in crisis, we should encourage and facilitate full participation in the democratic system, so I will not allow Londoners’ voices to be silenced. We should look to Scotland and Wales, who are determined to bring democracy into the 21st century and expand the franchise by age and residency.

Malnutrition Cases

Andrew Boff: How many cases of malnutrition have there been in London each year since 2016? Please give a breakdown of social-related and disease-related.

The Mayor: Data is not currently held for the total number of cases of malnutrition in London. Data on hospital admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition is held by NHS Digital.
Nationally, BAPEN have estimated that malnutrition affects over 3 million people in the UK. Of these about 1.3 million are over the age of 65. BAPEN’s Nutrition Screening Week surveys (2007-11)have shown that 25-34 per centof patients admitted to hospital are at risk of malnutrition and 30-42 per centof patients admitted to care homes are at risk of malnutrition.

First Group’s Failure to Approve TfL Fatigue Management Audit IA 17780

Caroline Pidgeon: In the documents contained in your delayed response to Question 2019/8811 there is a minute (page 83) which indicates Fatigue Audit IA 17780 was never approved by Tram Operations Limited. How is it possible that a TfL contractor which has been involved a catastrophic incident involving fatigued driving can refuse to approve a TfL Internal Audit which found that improvements on fatigue management were urgent and necessary?

The Mayor: The note in the minutes is a record of Tram Operations Limited’s (TOL’s) statement at the meeting and not agreement or acceptance by Transport for London (TfL). TfL audits are not approved by auditees. TfL Internal Audit has full, independent discretion on the content of audit reports. Auditees are given the opportunity to comment on the factual accuracy and provide supporting evidence, but are not invited to approve audit reports. Despite TOL’s statement that they did not “approve” the audit report, the evidence and recommendations in the report IA 17780 were not changed. They are clearly set out in the final audit report which was issued
As set out in the answer to Mayor’s Question 2019/17338 actions on issues raised in the report were already being undertaken by TOL. Reports as to the progress and completion of which continue to be provided to TfL.

Publication of Q4 2019 Bus Safety Data before Purdah

Keith Prince: Mr Mayor, please will you guarantee that TfL will publish its Q4 2019 bus safety data in a timely way and will not use the rules of Purdah or any other excuse to delay their publication until after the Mayoral election?

The Mayor: Transport for London intends to publish its Quarter 4 2019 bus safety data before 23rd March.

Impact of Domestic Violence on Food Insecurity

Fiona Twycross: Voluntary organisations working to tackle food insecurity have spoken to me about cases in which domestic violence has been linked to food insecurity. How can you work with voluntary organisations in London to make sure we have a holistic approach to tackling food insecurity which offers people the support that they need in a range of areas as well as providing emergency food provision?

The Mayor: We know that there can be many causes of food insecurity, and our Survey of Londoners research revealed that food insecurity disproportionately affects some groups more than others.
Although Domestic Abuse (DA) survivors were not highlighted in our Survey, we know that the DA services I commission have raised food insecurity as a facet of abuse, e.g. withholding finances, preventing the ability to purchase food etc. We will shortly be meeting with colleagues at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in order to work across the GLA family to seek a holistic approach to reducing food insecurity. We are aware that working with community partners and voluntary organisations will be key, and we will take this forward via the London Boroughs Food Group so that people we help on food insecurity are also offered support on other issues which they may be facing, such as Domestic Abuse.

Information sharing between police forces on missing persons

Siân Berry: A constituent is concerned that when they enquired at a Network Rail station to British Transport Police (BTP) about a vulnerable older missing person they were helping family members to search for, who had been reported to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), they were told that the MPS: “doesn’t pass missing person incidents on to us.” Is it true that this is the policy that is followed by these police services and, if not, what is the policy?

The Mayor: When a person is reported missing they are flagged on the Police National Computer (PNC), which is available to all Law Enforcement Agencies. PNC is used to facilitate investigations and sharing information of both national and local importance between agencies. In addition to this, missing person reports are shared across police forces as appropriate according to the risk and circumstances of the disappearance.
The Metropolitan Police Service would share missing person’s reports with the British Transport Police (BTP) if it was felt that the BTP could assist in any way, or if there was credible evidence to suggest the missing person was using the rail network.

Vision Zero

Navin Shah: TfL’s Vision Zero Action plan sets clear targets to reduce the number of those injured or killed in or on a bus by 2030. Given the new industry-wide concerns regarding the level of safety risk associated with trams, does the Mayor feel that the Vision Zero Action plan goes far enough in addressing tram safety on London’s roads?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/0322. I have also asked Transport for London to contact you to offer a meeting to discuss the latest tram safety improvements with you.

Food Poverty Action plans (1)

Fiona Twycross: How have Food Poverty Action Plans helped to tackle food insecurity in the boroughs in which they operate?

The Mayor: In the London Food Strategy, I committed to help all Londoners access healthy, affordable food. As part of this commitment, I provided funding through my London Food Programme for ten London boroughs to develop Food Poverty Action Plans.
The plans have helped tackle food insecurity by: raising the profile of food insecurity, especially with local decision-makers; developing a shared positive vision, joining up food insecurity strategies with wider social inclusion strategies and initiatives and sharing good practice across local authority boundaries to support specific projects. For example, Southwark established a dedicated Food Action Alliance to promote actions within their plan including the delivery of universal free school meals and becoming a London Living Wage borough.
The boroughs received ongoing support from GLA officers and Sustain’s London Food Link network throughout the development and implementation of their plans.

Food Poverty Action plans (2)

Fiona Twycross: How are you ensuring the Boroughs Food Group shares best practice from Food Poverty Action Plans to all London boroughs?

The Mayor: All of the Food Poverty Action Plans that I have funded have been published online and Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Merton, Southwark and Tower Hamlets have presented on their plans to the London Boroughs Food Group, sharing learning and best practice with local authorities and partners across London. As a result of the success and impact of the plans, which have been shared with other local authorities, a total of 19 Food Poverty Action Plans have now been published across London.
The plans enable councils to identify and engage community partners and employ a more strategic approach to the issue at a local level. In their Beyond the Food Bank report, Sustain have used Food Poverty Action Plans as one of ten indicators to measure the progress of London councils in tackling household food insecurity. They have also been used as an example of best practice and a way to measure collective action.

Food Insecurity Survey for Londoners without recourse to public funds

Fiona Twycross: Do you share my concern that Londoners, including children, without recourse to public funds, are more likely to suffer from food insecurity and what can we do to combat this?

The Mayor: I am aware of the issues facing Londoners with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), many of whom are at high risk of experiencing food insecurity, because their children are ineligible for free school meals.
In my London Food Strategy, I call on partners to join in lobbying government for universal free school meals (UFSM) to address the issue. In November, I hosted a School Food Conference which highlighted the benefits a universal offer has had in three boroughs. In response to the Assembly’s motion calling for the extension of UFSM, subject to budget approval officers will commission research examining the projected benefits of UFSM for London as a whole.
More broadly I have advocated for the Government to review the routine application of NRPF conditions on grants of limited leave to remain, so it better supports a person’s family or private life in the UK and offers shorter more affordable route to citizenship.

‘Managed’ Migration of Universal Credit (2)

Fiona Twycross: Have you had any indication from the Government about when the ‘managed’ migration to Universal Credit is likely to take place in London?

The Mayor: NoI haven’t. The Government is yet to confirm how ‘managed’ migration will be rolled out geographically, but according to the latest timeline it is supposed to begin in full this November following the conclusion of a pilot in Harrogate. However, to date only a handful of people have been successfully transferred under the pilot. The Government also recently confirmed they were delaying the end of rollout until September 2024.
Whilst it’s right they take their time to ensure the managed process works for claimants in the most vulnerable circumstances, the Government must do more in the meantime to protect the thousands of people who are currently ‘naturally’ migrating from legacy benefits. They must immediately close Universal Credit to any new claims until they have completely overhauled it and fixed the fundamental flaws. They must also use the upcoming budget to commit to providing transitional protection for all claimants.

‘Managed’ Migration of Universal Credit (3)

Fiona Twycross: Many vulnerable Londoners who require welfare support through the Universal Credit system find it difficult to access and navigate. For example, digital barriers may prevent people from being able to apply to Universal Credit. What can you do to support Londoners who may need help applying for Universal Credit?

The Mayor: The fact that Universal Credit doesn’t work for those in the most vulnerable circumstances is testament to its fundamentally flawed design. Despite the introduction of the Citizens Advice Help to Claim Service, the support offered by the Government to make and manage a claim is still woefully inadequate. I’ll continue to put pressure on them to overhaul Universal Credit so that it works for everyone; and appropriate support, where it is needed, is in place and adequately funded before ‘managed’ migration begins in full.
In the meantime, I’m exploring what I can do to assist smaller voluntary and community sector organisations that are supporting Londoners with moving onto Universal Credit. I’ll also be working with stakeholders to understand how access to welfare rights advice and information and other types of social welfare legal advice can be improved for Londoners who need it.

Impact of the Benefit Cap on Food Insecurity

Fiona Twycross: How has the benefit cap impacted food insecurity in London?

The Mayor: The primary economic driver of food insecurity is poverty and low-income and we know from the impact assessment I published last year that all welfare reforms since 2010 combined (including the Benefit Cap) have reduced the incomes of some of London’s most disadvantaged households by thousands of pounds annually.
It’s difficult to measure the specific impact the Benefit Cap has had on food insecurity in London. However, we do know that the policy disproportionately affects larger families and the Survey of Londoners told us that children from large families are more likely to be living in low or very low food security.
Welfare reforms have pushed an additional 100,000 Londoners (including 75,000 children) into poverty so it seems clear that the Benefit Cap and similar austerity policies have only served to increase food insecurity in London.

Taxi drivers using apps

Caroline Pidgeon: A constituent has requested that I raise with you the following question. In response to question2018/1125 you stated: "Taxi drivers who are plying for hire on-street or via an app can only charge the fare shown on the taximeter or less". Are you aware of taxi drivers charging passengers substantially more than the metered fare through apps like FreeNow and Gett? How many taxi drivers have TfL prosecuted for charging passengers more than the metered fare for trips within the GLA area in the last 12 months?

The Mayor: As you will be aware from our response to 2019/19708, taxi apps are outside of Transport for London’s regulatory remit. To regulate taxi app-based services would require legislative change, as there are no provisions within the current regulatory framework.
This was recognised by the Department for Transport-commissioned Task and Finish Group on taxi and private hire licensing. In the Government’s response to this group it noted that it was not minded to bring taxi apps into the licensing regime.
For journeys in Greater London, taxi drivers must not charge a fare which exceeds the maximum displayed on the meter.
Transport for London has not prosecuted any taxi drivers for “charging passengers more than the metered fare for trips within the GLA area” in the last 12 months.

Extra places for incident command training (1)

Andrew Dismore: How many places for incident command training has LFB needed to purchase from other training providers owing to lack of capacity from Babcock?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has purchased 304 places from other training providers due to a lack of capacity from Babcock. The training began on 11 November 2019 and the last class will finish on 27 March 2020.

Breaking the Babcock contract (2)

Andrew Dismore: How much would it cost for LFB to exit the Babcock training contract? Please break this cost down as far as possible.

The Mayor: There are several variable and unknown factors when estimating the cost of London Fire Brigade exiting the Babcock training contract. These include costs associated with Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) regulations, redundancy and property, some of which would be dependent on negotiation with Babcock. Recent work has established that the contract terms provide for 6 months’ profit to be payable on termination – this would need to be assessed at the relevant date. In addition to any loss of profit, the estimated cost of bringing the function in house, including re-providing the 2 training venues, is estimated to be £42 .5m. This figure is dependent on timings and can only be provided as an estimate, as certain transition costs would only become known if termination was enacted.

Incident commander training (2)

Andrew Dismore: What percentage of LFB officers have completed level 1 and level 2 incident commander training?

The Mayor: 71 per cent (870 out of 1229) of London Fire Brigade (LFB) officers have completed level 1 incident command training. 85 per cent (170 out of 199) of LFB officers have completed level 2 incident command training. Level 1 incident command training will be completed by December 2021, and level 2 incident command training will be completed by August 2021.

Breaking the Babcock contract (1)

Andrew Dismore: When did LFB last assess the costs of exiting the Babcock training contract?

The Mayor: A high-level assessment of the cost of exiting the contract on a voluntary basis was last undertaken in October 2018.

Secondees to Babcock for LFB training

Andrew Dismore: Who will pay the costs of staff seconded to Babcock as part of efforts to improve LFB training?

The Mayor: This forms part of the major change process as referenced in the response to Mayor's Question 2020/0554. An initial cost model was proposed as part of the Independent Review of Training, and commercially negotiations are now due to begin with Babcock on the proposed model and a range of other matters.